Konoha Notes

Chapter 28 Wasabi Family

The caravan finally stopped in front of the designated dock warehouse. The sea breeze, carrying a salty, fishy smell, hit them in the face, and the unique clamor of the port—the sailors' shouts, the ship's horns, and the metallic scraping of the cargo being hoisted—created a noisy background. The crew began unloading the cargo, while Hongshan Cheng was busy with the handover, a smile of relief plastered on his face.

Shuji found a relatively quiet spot on the stone steps near the warehouse, a place from which he could observe the movements of the docks and the main street, and sat down. Anko crossed her arms, the hood of her dark purple trench coat casually draped over her shoulders, her sharp eyes scanning the passersby, while Itachi sat quietly on Shuji's other side.

“The Tea Country’s management of the two lands on the mainland is actually very loose. As long as taxes are paid and no trouble is caused, they don’t care who manages them.” Shuji continued to explain the situation to the two of them. “So, those bandits probably obtained management rights from the Daimyo of the Tea Country and became officials of the Tea Country.”

However, for mere bandits to be officially recognized, even if there are two or three hundred of them, there must be other reasons. The point is, in another world, they might be considered recruited because of their sheer numbers and strength. In the ninja world, soldiers can't even form a proper formation against ninja techniques, let alone a group of mountain bandits. Give an ordinary genin a little time, and they could use their transformation techniques to destroy the Chayama Gang's structure and cause them to collapse on their own.

Based on the differing perceptions of Konoha and Makoto Hiroyama, Shuji already had some ideas.

It seemed that Hongshan Cheng had finally settled the preliminary matters. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and jogged over, his face filled with almost fawning gratitude and barely concealed anxiety: "Captain Xiuji! My lords! You've worked so hard! You've really worked so hard! The Haifengting Inn at the dock is quite clean, and the rooms have been booked! Please do me the honor of staying here, so I can treat you well for a few days as a token of my gratitude! All expenses are on me!"

That's the official explanation. In reality, the goods handover will take a few more days, but they've already entered and exited Jiegang Port. The fifth team could actually have finished their mission, especially since they just helped resolve the city entry tax issue. However, Hongshan is worried that the guards will cause trouble if they find out that Xiusi and the others have left, so he can only keep Xiusi and the others here.

It's his own fault for not considering the risk of losing the goods after entering the city when he issued the mission.

"Okay." Xiu Si agreed after a moment's thought.

Hongshan Cheng thanked him repeatedly and personally led the three of them to the inn.

Haifengting Hostel is located on a relatively quiet street on the edge of the pier area. It is a three-story wooden building with a simple but fairly clean facade. The owner is a taciturn middle-aged man. When he saw Hongshan Cheng enter with three ninjas wearing headbands, his eyes showed a hint of awe. He quickly arranged for the three rooms on the top floor with the best views.

Shuji's room was on the outermost side. Opening the window, he could see most of the dock area and the distant azure sea. Anko and Itachi went back to their rooms to rest. Shuji stood by the window, his gaze calmly sweeping over the bustling port and the somewhat chaotic streets below. The Chayama Gang's henchmen, now in guard leather armor, still loitered in small groups nearby, their eyes scanning the direction of the Sea Breeze Pavilion with hostility, but none dared to approach.

A short while later, Hongdou came over dressed in light, dark-colored clothing, her hair casually tied up, and a hint of impatience on her face: "Captain, there are a few suspicious guys watching downstairs. Should I go and take care of them?"

After learning about these people's true nature, Hongdou had no more worries.

Itachi finished packing his things and went into Shuuji's room.

Just then, a slight commotion arose downstairs at the inn, followed by the innkeeper's slightly nervous voice: "Wasabi-sama? Why are you here personally..."

A gentle yet authoritative voice rang out: "It's alright. I heard that a distinguished guest from Konoha is staying here, so Jirocho has come to pay his respects. Please inform him."

Wasabi, if I remember correctly, there are actually two major families in Izuku Port: the Wasabi family and the Kazuki family. For a long time, one of these two families has been in charge of local management. The addition of the Chayama gang has inevitably squeezed out one of them, or both have been affected. "Red Bean, let Mr. Wasabi come up here."

"Yes, yes, Captain."

A moment later, steady footsteps echoed down the wooden stairs. A middle-aged man in a dark gray silk kimono followed Anko in. He appeared to be around forty years old, with a steady gait and upright posture, clearly possessing a solid foundation in martial arts. His hair was meticulously combed, his face lean, and his eyes, while gentle, revealed a shrewdness born of experience. This was none other than Wasabi Jirocho, the head of the Wasabi family.

His gaze swept quickly over the three people in the room, lingering briefly on Anko's impatient expression and Itachi's calm face before finally settling on Shuji by the window. Although they looked to be the same age, Shuji possessed a completely different aura from Anko. The fact that such forceful methods were used at the castle gate, yet the real person remained so composed, made Jirocho quickly realize—such actions were definitely not impulsive.

"I apologize for the intrusion." Jirocho smiled politely and bowed slightly. "My name is Wasabi Jirocho. May I ask how you are addressed, esteemed guest?"

"Shuji." Shuji's voice was calm and even as he pulled out a chair. "Mr. Wasabi, you're too kind. Please have a seat."

Jirocho thanked him and took a seat, then said, "Shuji-kun's behavior at the castle gate was quite reckless."

"Tch." Hongdou leaned against the door frame with her arms crossed, letting out an undisguised sneer.

Shuji remained expressionless, tapping his fingers lightly on the wooden tabletop, producing a very soft click. "Oh? I'd like to hear more." His tone was flat, as if he were merely discussing the weather.

"The Hokage of your village originally had something else he wanted me to convey to you after Shuji-kun entered the city."

These words made Itachi, who had been quietly observing, turn to look at Jirocho, a hint of contemplation flashing across his youthful face.

Xiu Si remained seated, his face showing no surprise, as if he had expected this. "I would like to hear the details," he repeated, his gaze calm and serene.

Jirocho said, "Our Wasabi family and the Kazuki family have been competing for control of Ikusa Port. The two families were evenly matched until half a month ago when the Kazuki family suddenly took in the bandits from outside the city, and the Wasabi family lost control of the town."

"If that were all, we could tolerate it for the sake of port stability. But to win over these wolves, the He family is allowing them to act recklessly! They're creating pretexts to impose heavy taxes and exploit passing merchants! If this continues, the town will decline!"

"Therefore, I have asked the Hokage for help."

(End of this chapter)